Just A Pretty Face
by Alexiel Reborn
Summary: A gem is beautiful, but can it ever be something more than just a decoration? Kurama is handsome arrogant prince living the life of luxury. Hiei is a lonely swordsman, dark and seemingly uncaring. Hiei is commissioned to protect the fox-prince and Kurama
1. Lord Hiei

Disclaimer: Me no own, so don't you sue me! Lol  
  
Summary: A gem is beautiful, but can it ever be something more than just a decoration? Kurama is handsome arrogant prince living the life of luxury. Hiei is a lonely swordsman, dark and seemingly uncaring. What happens when Hiei is commissioned to protect the fox-prince and Kurama finds himself falling in love? Can he convince Hiei that he's more than just a pretty face?  
  
Author's Note: Ok I know this is the fourth Yu Yu Hakusho story I've started in the last few days, but let me just tell you one thing. I WRITE A LOT! I WRITE EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF MY LIFE!! MUHAHAHA! *calms down* .....(That may be also why my grades are going down in school...oops)  
  
............................................................................................................  
  
Chapter One: Lord Hiei  
  
............................................................................................................  
  
"Prince Kurama! You're carriage is waiting!" calls the voice of my head servant. I roll my eyes. Sometimes I hate being a prince.  
  
"I'm coming!" I call out, forgetting to use my 'polite voice'. A servant beside me gasps slightly and I roll my eyes again. I guess they're shocked that a fox-prince like me has one moment of exasperation. Seriously these people need to cut me so slack! I can't be calm and courteous all the time! I'm human too! I guess they can't realize that because they're so wrapped up in their romantic ideas of how perfect and lovely being a prince must be. If only they knew how agonizingly boring it is for me! I'd gladly just hand over this silver band around my head that symbolizes my 'superiority' over them.  
  
I walk slowly down the hallway, up to the doors, my steps hindered by my annoyingly tight wardrobe. I don't know why I have to wear these outlandish garments that only accomplish one goal: frustrating the hell out of me. Everyone always says that I look good in these pale red robes that clench tight at my waist.  
  
They insisted that I tie my hair back today because I'm going to make an appearance in public today. Usually I let my long red hair fly free in wisps so that I don't have to bother with messing with my hair the morning. Of course I could always get one of the servants to do it, but I much prefer to dress myself! All those simpering and adoring looks from both the female and male [much to my horror] servants drives me insane.  
  
I step out into the sunlight and breathe deeply. The air smells so fresh and alive today. I wish that I could spend my time out in the gardens as I usually do on such beautiful mornings, but my father insisted that I must get out and 'circulate' or whatever he meant by that.  
  
"Prince Kurama..." I hear a meek voice question. I look down at one of my many servant boys and grin at him. He seems so nervous around me as though I might strike him if he doesn't follow my exact word. I want to laugh, but I restrain myself knowing that it's not his fault if he thinks I'm 'all mighty'.  
  
"I'm coming..." I say softly as I sigh and step down the marble stone steps to where my carriage is waiting for me. As usual the carriage is ridiculously extravagant, which never ceases to annoy me. As I go to climb into it a servant reaches out a hand so that he may assist me inside. I grimace at him and ignore his hand, hopping lightly up. These people! Seriously, they all think I'm weak.  
  
I'm very surprised to see that there is already someone inside. My eyes take in his features; he is short [barely five feet or so!] with spiky black hair, fierce fire-red eyes, and a white strip of cloth tied across his forehead. There is a malicious scowl on his face that almost seems as dark and foreboding as his tight black shirt and pants. I notice that he doesn't bow or look afraid. In fact there is nothing else on his face, but that scowl.  
  
"Who are you?" I request, suddenly feeling uneasy from his intense stare.  
  
"Hn." Is his only response as he sits down and I blink even more flabbergasted than before. Does he not realize that I'm the PRINCE?  
  
The nervous servant, who is behind me at the carriage door, makes a sort of frightened noise as though he's trying to tell me something, but he's afraid that he will interrupt me. I turn to him and raise an eyebrow.  
  
He squeaks, but opens his mouth to tell me. "Your majesty, he is Lord Hiei. Your majesty's father requested that he be you're personal bodyguard from now on since the country is going through times of great war and strife."  
  
I look bewilderedly at the servant then sigh. "Fine then." I say, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. I can see 'Lord Hiei' bristle beside me at this gesture. I turn to him with an expression that clearly says, 'I don't need you go away'.  
  
He glares at me as if plainly saying back, 'I'm not here because I want to. I'm here because I have to.'  
  
I'm distracted though as the carriage door slams and it jerks into movement. I quickly sit down on the uncomfortably hard seat, facing Hiei. He doesn't say anything and neither do I.  
  
I start to get bored and I tap my foot carelessly, wondering where we were going. I remember hearing something about a duke and a tea party, but it's not like I was really paying that much attention. Hiei gives me a cold glance and instantly I stop my tapping. I watch him as he settles into the corner, staring out the small window, clenching his katana tight at his side.  
  
With a small grin I 'absentmindedly' started humming to myself. There's something about this Hiei that brings out my wild side. Maybe it's the way he doesn't treat me like a prince, or a higher person. I find that I quite like it and I want to test my boundaries.  
  
Hiei ignores me for a while, but I can tell it's annoying him by the way one of the veins in his forehead begins to throb. He isn't looking at me. It's like he refuses to acknowledge my presence. I fold my hands over my lap and cross my legs and start to whistle.  
  
He cracks. I mean it. His whole outer cool shell that he's been masking himself with shatters. "Will you shut the hell up!" he screams at me, his hand twitching as it almost reaches for his katana.  
  
I do a little dainty 'sniff' into the air as though I don't know what he's talking about and he shouldn't speak to me like that. I'm actually mildly amused with his behavior, but I don't have a chance to experiment any further because the carriage skids to a stop.  
  
The door opens and I step out into a spacious courtyard. There is a huge house in front of me, made out of marble. I smirk, noticing how it is significantly similar to my own castle. How trite. I'm lead to the door and greeted by a footman dressed in the uncomfortable formal clothes that seem to be the 'rage' these days.  
  
Hiei shadows behind me, not letting me get more than five feet away. I'm lead inside to a vast antechamber where there is a petite little table has been set with ornate china dishes and little morsels and pastries. Sitting at the three chaired table is a man and a young woman. The man seems to be around my father's age, with silver hair and a clean shaved face. His eyes are dull and hard, glistening with unpleasantness.  
  
His daughter, as I assume she is, is very different. Her pale soft face is framed with sea green wisps of hair down to her shoulders, and her eyes look a familiar red color. I was almost sure that he had seen those eyes somewhere before. I shake it off though as the man rises to greet me.  
  
I can hear Hiei behind me shuffle a bit and I see out of the corner of my eye that his head is bowed to cover his face. If he's worried about being looked at, he shouldn't be. No one ever notices servants.  
  
The old man bows low to me. I smile politely, all the while gritting my teeth, as I bow back slowly to him.  
  
"Welcome your majesty. I'm so glad you could come to my estate today." He greets me and implores me to sit down in the empty chair with a wave of a hand. Instantly a servant steps out and pulls the chair back so that I can easily sit down in it. Gingerly, I seat myself, feeling bad that I can't even remember the name of this duke I am visiting.  
  
Hiei moves to a spot safely in the shadows and I almost chuckle. I wonder why he hates people so much. I forgot about him though for a moment, when I return my attention to the matters at hand.  
  
I nod my head approvingly at the duke as I cross my hands over my lap. I smile over at the girl who sits quietly in the chair, not looking up at all. The duke notices my gaze.  
  
"Ah yes, and this is my daughter, Yukina." He says absentmindedly. Instantly my liking of him drops. I feel sorry for the girl. Her father is so cold towards her, but I guess that's just how things are. I tend to despise how women are being treated in our kingdom. When I become King I will definitely change that.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hiei bristle and back farther into the shadows. He keeps on glancing over at Yukina nervously. I make a mental note of this and store it away for later. Unfortunately I have boring formalities that I must deal with first.  
  
"Would you like something to eat, your majesty?" he inquires me, indicating the delicate fluffy pastries that are sitting untouched on the table.  
  
I smirk slightly, deciding that if I'm going to be here, I might as well have a little fun. "No thank you, I'm watching my weight." I say sarcastically.  
  
I can almost see the duke sweat drop and Yukina starts to giggle softly still looking down at her lap. "Ah... I see. Though your majesty certainly has no reason to be worrying so much."  
  
He's such a suck up. Hehe, I'll teach him. "Worry I shall not, but I hope you will consider what I have said." I say jauntily.  
  
He gives me a confused smile, but I can see his eyebrows twitch with the need to frown. Yukina giggles become louder and she places a hand over her mouth to quiet herself.  
  
The duke finally decides to recover and stands up suddenly. "I'm sure you majesty does not want to sit around here idly," he then turns to Yukina, "Take his majesty for a walk in the garden, Yukina while I prepare tonight's entertainment."  
  
Yukina rises from the table and starts walking out the door. I nod my head to the duke once before standing up to follow her. Hiei reluctantly follows after me at a much farther distance than he had previously. I'm starting to wonder why he's acting so strange. Could it possibly have something to do with this young girl, Yukina?  
  
~Yay! First chapter done. I'm really excited about this story and I hope y'all liked it. Oh and by the way in the next chapter there might be a little incident with a certain Lord Kuwabara! LOL. 


	2. In The Rose Garden

............................................................................ .............  
  
Chapter Two: In the Rose Garden  
  
..................................................................  
  
Yukina leads me out into a meticulous garden filled with flowers of an extensive variety. I can feel the discontent of them as I brush my fingers lightly against their petals, frowning.  
  
"Do you tend these flowers yourself, my lady?" I ask her, even though I know such a kind person like her would never treat flowers in such an uncaring way.  
  
Just as I assumed, she shakes her head, her wave of sea green hair bobbing slightly with her movements. "The servants tend the gardens most days, but I try to come out here as often as I can. Father doesn't want me to though..." she blushes and ducks her head, realizing that she has said too much.  
  
I just chuckle, my eyes twinkling with rebellion as they had often of late. My finger brushes across her cheek and her blush deepens. I hear a growl from behind me and I know Hiei is watching me.  
  
"Excuse me for a moment, if you don't mind I would like a minute or two to myself in the garden." I ask of her.  
  
She nods obediently as bows low to me and walks back away. Once I am finally alone, I turn around and beckon Hiei from out of the shadows.  
  
The short man walks straights up to me, with a frown on his face. I smirk and laugh. "Does this girl mean something to you? Are you perhaps in love with her?" I tease, patting him lightly on the head. I'm having so much fun today!  
  
Hiei slaps my hand away. "Even if you are the prince I will not hesitate to slit your throat right here and now if you ever lay a hand on me again. The girl means nothing to me. She is but a nuisance in my life."  
  
Somehow, I think he's lying. There's something in his eyes that is giving him away to me...and in the way he acts too. He's so protective of her, but yet scared to get near her at the same time. This truly is a mystery for me to solve. That doesn't matter though. I don't have anything to do anyway.  
  
"Those are pretty harsh words to your prince. I thought you were supposed to be my bodyguard. Why would my father hire someone like you especially with all the other people he could pay to protect me? Why would he hire someone who keeps on threatening to kill me?" I say, jokingly.  
  
Hiei scorns at me. "You are a fool. Because I am the only one who can protect you. I'm the only one strong enough."  
  
"Oh really, what are you going to protect me from that's so 'dangerous'." I say as I roll my eyes. I certainly am acting like my teenage self.  
  
Hiei then grins evilly and I get slightly apprehensive. "Oh just wait, 'Prince' Kurama, you'll see. You'll be begging for my protection in the end." He says as then retreats back into the bushes.  
  
I walk off down a small path through the garden, enjoying this time I have managed to find for myself (of course not including my little shadow). My footsteps echo slightly on the cobblestone pathway and the sunshine around me settles pleasantly down onto my skin.  
  
I stop in the silence of the garden and touch one finger to the edge of a rose petal. It's soft pink petals warm to my touch and begins to glow, shining with health that only love and tender care can bring. They treat the plants here....well like plants instead of living things. I brush my fingers along the rose's thorns softly so as to not prick myself. These people have not appreciation for beauty at all.  
  
I sigh as I bend down and gently smell the flower's sweet fragrance. It's so relaxing. I wish I never had to leave a garden. I would gladly spend the rest of my days lounging in one, but soon I'm afraid that my duties will overcome my life. If only there was someway out of it. If only I could find my own happiness instead of being forced into the life of a prince.  
  
"I see your majesty is enjoying the flowers. I'm glad." I hear the duke's voice say behind me.  
  
Gracefully I turn around, pretending like I knew he was there the whole time. "Yes, I am indeed. If I might say you have a rather good selection, but they seem restless and unhappy."  
  
The duke looks confused at first. "Restless...unhappy? Ah, yes, your majesty does have a certain affinity with flora. I'll see that they are tended right away, certainly." He says, bowing low before me.  
  
I smile softly at the rose that I'm leaving behind and turn to follow the duke as he leads me back inside. The hallway we are walking down is dim for the thick stone walls block almost all of the sun's rays of warmth and light. Only thin slits in the walls let fragmented shafts of light through.  
  
I frown at this, wanting to be back out in the bright sunlight. I can't though. I'm a prince. If only I were free from this torture that's been happening for the last seventeen years of my life!  
  
The hall he leads me into is vastly decorated with a variety of ancient paintings and flashy curtains made out of heavily embroidered cloth. I gaze at on in particular that depicts a great battle between a battalion of soldiers and a ferocious dragon demon that is shooting out blazes of fire across the field.  
  
There is an extensive table centered in the center of the antechamber laid out with many expensive treats and victuals covering its expanse. It's facing a large stage with large red curtains that seems to be set up for some sort of theatrical performance.  
  
My eyes turn to find that Yukina is seated at one of the small chairs at the far end of the table, fingering a strand of hair nervously.  
  
"Yukina!!" I hear a loud annoying voice call. I turn around to see a young boy with red-brown tufty hair running frantically hall towards her.  
  
He collapses at her feet, panting wildly for breath, his face upturned to hers in a plea. "Yukina, why can't i have you're love? I'd give anything for you!" Then his serious face turned goofy as he pulled out a messily put together bouquet out from behind his back . "See! I have prettiful flowers."  
  
I could hear the duke beside me groan and he rubs a hand over his temple. "Can someone please get him out of here?!" He screams, then he turns to me. "I'm sorry your majesty. That's just one of the lesser lords of the area. He's been after my daughter for quite a while." He says apologetically.  
  
"I see." I say quietly, watching as two men attempt to drag the boy away as he screamed out declarations of love. I can see the duke's eyebrow twitch and I hide a grin.  
  
"Does this happen often?" I ask mischievously.  
  
The duke sweatdrops visibly and I assume that's an obvious yes. Then for no particular reason I wonder where Hiei has been this entire time. I can't sense his presence behind me anymore and I'm slightly saddened. I don't know if I can stand all these formalities anymore, and I'm starting to get a headache.  
  
[Slightly shorter chapter, but it's taken me a while to write it for some reason. Hope you liked it.] 


End file.
